David Brooks (The Atlantic), Why Do So Many People Think Trump Is Good? The Work of the moral philosopher Alasdair MacIntyre helps illuminate the central questions of our time.
Nathan Taylor Pemberton (N.Y. Times), Trolling Democracy (Also available here.)
David Brooks tries so hard. Today, he gets an E for Effort, seeking to persuade us that our national crisis has something to do with deficient moral philosophy.
Well, I am confident that moral philosophy has something to do with it. But before you get to moral philosophy, just answer this question:
Assume that John Doe has poor moral philosophy. Or, for that matter assume John Doe is utterly wicked, without a moral bone in his body. Even on that assumption, why would John Doe elect a national leader who manifestly lacks the mental capacity to be a national leader. And a national leader who is going to inflict grievous harm on John Doe’s own economic interests?
The answer, it would seem, is that Mr. Doe lacks not only morality but also the ability to see reality accurately and to draw reasonable inferences about the likely consequences of his own actions.
The One Worth Reading
The other piece, by Nathan Pemberton, is a lengthy account of the rise of Nazi ideology among a certain segment of our population—chiefly young men with poor economic prospects—and the cultivation of that ideology by many people close to the President of the United States.
Before reading it, you may want to visit the package store.
Facing MAGA 